Colossians 1:26

Contemporary English Version

For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

King James Version (1611)
Euen the mystery which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints,

King James Version
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

English Standard Version
the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

New American Standard Bible
that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints,

New Century Version
This message is the secret that was hidden from everyone since the beginning of time, but now it is made known to God's holy people.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

Legacy Standard Bible
that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

Berean Standard Bible
the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.

Complete Jewish Bible
the secret hidden for generations, for ages, but now made clear to the people he has set apart for himself.

Darby Translation
the mystery which [has been] hidden from ages and from generations, but has now been made manifest to his saints;

Easy-to-Read Version
This message is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone for ages, but now it has been made known to God's holy people.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Which is the mysterie hid since the world began, and from all ages, but nowe is made manifest to his Saintes,

George Lamsa Translation
Even the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now is revealed to his saints:

Good News Translation
which is the secret he hid through all past ages from all human beings but has now revealed to his people.

Lexham English Bible
the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but has now been revealed to his saints,

Literal Translation
the mystery having been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now was revealed to His saints;

Amplified Bible
that is, the mystery which was hidden [from angels and mankind] for ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His saints (God's people).

American Standard Version
even the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

Bible in Basic English
The secret which has been kept from all times and generations, but has now been made clear to his saints,

Hebrew Names Version
the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his holy ones,

International Standard Version
This secret was hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints,Matthew 13:11; Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:10;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
that mystery which was hidden from ages and generations, but now hath been revealed unto his saints.

Murdock Translation
[namely,] that mystery, which was hidden for ages and generations, but is now revealed to his saints [fn] {namely,}

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The misterie hyd sence the worlde began, and [sence the begynnyng of] generations: but nowe is opened to his saintes:

English Revised Version
even the mystery which hath been hid from all ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

World English Bible
the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
The mystery which hath been hid from ages and generations; but now is manifested to his saints:

Weymouth's New Testament
the truth which has been kept secret from all ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His people,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
that Y fille the word of God, the priuyte, that was hid fro worldis and generaciouns. But now it is schewid to his seyntis,

Update Bible Version
[even] the mystery which has been hid for ages and generations: but now it has been manifested to his saints,

Webster's Bible Translation
[Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

New English Translation
that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints.

New King James Version
the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

New Living Translation
This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God's people.

New Life Bible
This great secret was hidden to the people of times past, but it is now made known to those who belong to Christ.

New Revised Standard
the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The sacred secret which had been hidden away from the ages and from the generations, but, now, hath been made manifest unto his saints -

Douay-Rheims Bible
The mystery which hath been hidden from ages and generations, but now is manifested to his saints,

Revised Standard Version
the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
that mistery hid sence the worlde beganne and sence ye begynnynge of generacions: but now is opened to his saynctes

Young's Literal Translation
the secret that hath been hid from the ages and from the generations, but now was manifested to his saints,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
namely, that mystery which hath bene hyd sence the worlde beganne, and sence the begynnynge of tymes: but now is opened vnto his sayntes,

Mace New Testament (1729)
that mystery, which has been hid from ages and generations, but is now made manifest to his saints:

THE MESSAGE
This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.

Simplified Cowboy Version
This truth had been kept hidden since the beginning, but now it has been revealed to cowboys and cowgirls who ride for the brand.

Contextual Overview

¹² I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ who forgives our sins and sets us free. ¹⁵ Christ is exactly like God, who cannot be seen. He is the first-born Son, superior to all creation. ¹⁶ Everything was created by him, everything in heaven and on earth, everything seen and unseen, including all forces and powers, and all rulers and authorities. All things were created by God's Son, and everything was made for him. ¹⁷ God's Son was before all else, and by him everything is held together. ¹⁸ He is the head of his body, which is the church. He is the very beginning, the first to be raised from death, so that he would be above all others. ¹⁹ God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. ²⁰ And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross, so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God. ²¹ You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the mystery: Romans 16:25, Romans 16:26, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 3:3-10

now: Psalms 25:14, Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11, Luke 8:10, 2 Timothy 1:10

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 30:11 - it is not hidden Proverbs 8:6 - for Isaiah 64:4 - have not Matthew 11:11 - greater Matthew 13:35 - I will utter Matthew 16:17 - but Matthew 20:7 - Because John 15:15 - all Acts 13:41 - for 1 Corinthians 4:1 - mysteries 1 Corinthians 13:2 - understand 1 Corinthians 14:2 - howbeit Ephesians 1:9 - made Ephesians 3:9 - hid Ephesians 6:19 - the mystery Colossians 4:3 - the mystery 1 Peter 1:20 - verily

Cross-References

Genesis 1:2
The earth was barren, with no form of life; it was under a roaring ocean covered with darkness. But the Spirit of God was moving over the water.

Genesis 1:4
God looked at the light and saw that it was good. He separated light from darkness

Genesis 1:6

The Second Day

God said, "I command a dome to separate the water above it from the water below it."

Genesis 1:8
and named it "Sky." Evening came and then morning—that was the second day.

Genesis 1:9

The Third Day

God said, "I command the water under the sky to come together in one place, so there will be dry ground." And that's what happened.

Genesis 1:20

The Fifth Day

God said, "I command the ocean to be full of living creatures, and I command birds to fly above the earth."

Genesis 1:24

The Sixth Day

God said, "I command the earth to give life to all kinds of tame animals, wild animals, and reptiles." And that's what happened.

Genesis 1:28
God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth.

Genesis 1:29
I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat.

Genesis 3:22
The Lord said, "These people now know the difference between right and wrong, just as we do. But they must not be allowed to eat fruit from the tree that lets them live forever."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and generations,.... This is said, as explanative of the word of God; signifying that he did not mean the Scriptures in general, which are the word of God, and every part of them; some part of which is historical, another prophetical, another practical, and another doctrinal; nor the law, which also is the word of God, but the Gospel, called "the mystery", as it often is; because it contains things, which, though revealed, are mysteries to a natural man; and even to enlightened persons, who have the clearest view of them, the "modus" of them is not to be accounted for; such as the doctrines of the Trinity, of the union of the two natures in Christ, the incarnation of the Son of God, the union and communion of the church with Christ, the resurrection of the dead, c. And though perhaps great and special regard may be here had to the calling of the Gentiles, which, though revealed in the prophecies of the Old Testament, was in a great measure hid in them, and not so clearly known in ages and generations past as now, yet the whole may be applied to the Gospel mystery in general which was first hid in the heart of God, in his thoughts and purposes, in his counsel and covenant, and in his Son, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; and then in the ceremonies and shadows of the law, which but few had any insight into, and discerning of; and, during that dispensation, was wholly hid from the Gentiles; and but in part known by the Jews, and but by a few, and comparatively by them very darkly; and not so clearly by the angels themselves, who pry into these mysteries, and now, under the Gospel dispensation, learn from the church the manifold wisdom of God; and indeed it was hidden from all men, Jews and Gentiles, in a state of nature, and even from the wise and prudent of this world:

but now is made manifest to his saints; now under the Gospel dispensation, since the coming of Christ; there is an external revelation of the Gospel by him, more clearly, by whom grace and truth came, called the revelation of Christ; and an internal revelation of it by his Spirit, who is the spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him; which is made to saints, the holy apostles and prophets, who are the saints to whom this faith, and the mystery of it, were first delivered with so much power and evidence; and to all the elect of God, whom he has separated for himself in eternal election; whom Christ has sanctified by his blood, and to whom he is made sanctification; and who are called with an holy calling, have principles of grace and holiness wrought in them by the Spirit of God, and therefore called "his" saints; these have only a spiritual discerning of the Gospel, for the natural man neither knows nor receives it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Even the mystery - To make that mystery fully known. See this explained in the notes at Ephesians 3:2-9. The great doctrine that salvation was to be proclaimed to all mankind, Paul says, had been concealed for many generations. Hence, it was called a mystery, or a hidden truth.

But now is made manifest to his saints - It was communicated especially to the apostles who were appointed to proclaim it, and through them to all the saints. Paul says that he regarded himself as specially called to make this truth known, as far as possible, to mankind.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 26. The mystery which hath been hid — The mystery is this: that God had designed to grant the Gentiles the same privileges with the Jews, and make them his people who were not his people. That this is what St. Paul means by the mystery, see Ephesians 3:3, c.

Made manifest to his saints — It is fully known to all who have embraced the doctrine of Christ crucified to all Christians.